Female terminal fittings of the type shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 of this specification are well known. This type of female terminal fitting comprises a main body 1 formed by bending from a thin electrically conducting metal plate, and a stainless steel protecting cover 2 that covers the main body 1. The main body 1 is formed so as to have an insertion aperture 3 into which a corresponding male terminal fitting (not shown) is inserted, the insertion aperture 3 being connected to a barrel member 4 which is located posteriorly to the insertion aperture 3 and which allows the connection of an electric wire terminal thereto. The insertion aperture 3 has a pair of resilient contacts 6 formed by extending longitudinal side walls 5 in an anterior direction, the side walls 5 being provided so as to face each other on the left and right sides (the upper and lower sides in FIG. 15). The male terminal fitting is inserted between the resilient contacts 6 and forces them apart.
However, the resilient force of the contacts is determined by the plate thickness of the portion connecting with the side walls, and in the case where this portion is thin, it is not possible to maintain a sufficient contact pressure with respect to the male terminal fitting. In particular, along with the increased desirability of miniaturization of the connector, it becomes necessary to reduce this portion's thickness in correspondence with the plate material thickness of the female terminal fitting. For this reason, it becomes very difficult to maintain a sufficient contact pressure with respect to the male terminal fitting.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to provide a female terminal fitting wherein a pair of resilient contacts provided thereon give an increased contact pressure.